


One Half of My Heart is Free The Other Half of My Heart's Asleep

by Adders



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Bisexual Josh Dun, Child Abuse, Daddy Josh, Dom! Josh Dun, Eventual Smut, F/F, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pansexual Brendon Urie, Slow Build, Sub! Tyler Joseph, Tyler Has a Dysfunctional Family, joshler - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-04 16:36:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10994778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adders/pseuds/Adders
Summary: Josh and Debby are "dating" but only to cover up the fact that she is in a relationship with their best friend Jenna. Mark is their other friend and every Friday after their college classes they go to his house for Movie Night. The next time they arrive, however, Mark already has a guest. A young teenager who catches Josh's attention like no one else.





	1. Hey, What's Your Name?

To other people, Josh and Debby were the epitome of, "couple goals." In actuality, they aren't even dating it's just a cover-up for her real relationship. She's one of three friends Josh is close to. Her, Mark, and finally Jenna, the one Debby is actually dating. 

Their college isn't particularly progressive, there hadn't been any direct hate towards past students, there had been things written on walls and any posters were ripped and destroyed. While nothing had happened, you never really know somebody's inner thoughts so just to be safe, they kept things on the down-low. 

They always hung out at Mark's place whenever they could. His parents owned a music shop that had an apartment attached above it and when they moved out of town, they left it to him. There were so few dorms at their college yet so many applicants that the school had to do a lottery, picking a ball with a number stamped on it. 

None of them had been chosen but there were streets completely lined by apartment buildings nearby. Debby and Jenna were able to get one in the building closest to the school while Josh was farther away and despite him having a car, he preferred to walk most of the time. It woke him up before class even though his earliest was at noon, he had a bad tendency to sleep in really late. 

Mark and Josh had been friends since childhood and the public school they'd attended had been so horrible neither had enough credits to get into a four-year college so they had gone to a community college for two years where they had met Debby and Jenna. 

It hadn't even been intended they all ended up together again in the college they transferred to. Both Jenna and Debby were majoring in Medical, Mark in Business and Marketing, and Josh in Law. His father owned a firm on the other side of the city and as soon as Josh graduated he would become a partner and earn enough in a year to be set for life. 

He had felt guilty that he would have a job secured for him while others much more qualified than he didn’t. So he searched for months, working in fast food restaurants until he found one in a particular company. He worked his way to the top and eventually earned enough to pay completely for the rest of his schooling and rent. 

This was their senior year but because they all had the extra two years of the community college, they were the oldest students there at twenty-four years old, almost twenty-five. All the other seniors were twenty-one or twenty-two, making them the odd ones out. It wasn’t even going to be a full year for Josh. His schooling would be over at the end of October and all he would have to do is take his Bar exam and he would be done. 

They had a tradition of going to Mark's place every Friday for movie night. Jenna dealt with drinks, Debby picked the movie, and Josh was in charge of ordering tacos or pizza depending on the mood. After some debate, it was decided that tonight was a pizza night so after Josh called in for a delivery they were on their way to Mark's apartment. Josh was carrying the bag of sodas as they walked, it was September in Los Angeles and it was such nice weather they decided not to take a car despite the fact that it was at least twenty-five minutes to get there on foot. 

When they reached the entrance to the shop, Josh handed Debby the drinks and pulled out his keys ready to unlock the door only to find that it was already open. They looked at each other knowing that if Mark had left it unlocked he would have at least told them. 

The shop had been broken into just two weeks ago, about two thousand dollars worth in instruments had been stolen and Mark had been waiting all day for a phone call from the station on an update that had been promised by the two officers who had been the first to arrive. They walked through the shop using their phones to guide the way due to the automatic shutdown time on the store's own lights. 

When they reached the back they climbed up the stairs to the apartment. They could hear Mark's muffled voice so they assumed he had gotten that call. Jenna swung the door open and they walked in quietly so they didn't disturb him but they were shocked to find someone sitting down at the kitchen table. They couldn't see who it was as Mark was blocking most of the view but when he moved, they were able to get a look at the person. 

It was a boy with messy brown hair whose feet barely touched the ground. (He's short fight me). They couldn't see his face as he was looking down at his hands, one of them seemed to be bandaged and the other looked like it was about to be. Josh started walking through the hallway to get to the other side of the kitchen in hopes of getting Mark's attention. 

Debby spoke before Josh could catch his eye though, "Mark?" The boy shot straight out of the seat, stumbling back, he would have fallen had Josh not been right there to catch him. He looked down at the boy. He seemed to be in his teens and looked absolutely terrified, his face littered with multiple injuries. 

A large bruise on the left side of his cheek, a black eye on the other side, a split lip, and a small cut just above his right eyebrow. But what caught his attention were his eyes. He didn’t know how to categorise them. Maybe a dark brown hazel? But when the light caught them they looked more amber. He got lost in them.

It seemed like an eternity but it was more likely a few seconds before the boy lurched out of his grip. He put his hand on the table trying to regain balance but jerked it away with a yelp as soon as it made contact. It was the one that wasn’t bandaged and Josh’s stomach churned when he saw red dripping onto the ground. Mark cursed under his breath and grabbed at the boy’s sleeve, directing him back into the chair where he slumped down, cradling his hand close to his chest. 

Mark pulled a clean dish rag out of one of the drawers and lightly pressed it against the teen’s hand. Just at that moment, the phone rang. Debby leaned over to read the caller id before saying it was the police station. He sighed before handing the boy the rag and turning to Josh and saying, “keep an eye on him,” then grabbing the phone and going into his bedroom. 

All three turned their eyes to the boy in the chair who had pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face, visibly shaking. Josh had a sudden urge to comfort the kid but was somewhat hesitant, he didn’t want to spook him so he walked over slowly and lightly put his hand on the boy’s trembling shoulder. He smiled at him when he lifted his head and was once caught in that gaze. 

_____POV Switch__________________

He looked up towards the man who had caught him earlier when he had almost fallen. When the man smiled at him, he nearly passed out. He tried to blame that on his injuries but he knew it was most definitely from how gorgeous the man was. The hand on his shoulder was so gentle but it felt like electricity and his smile was so sweet, he forgot about the pain shooting through his body for a second. However, he remembered quite vividly when he shifted slightly.

He tried his hardest not to give away his pain, he didn’t want to scare the man away but it was obvious he had caught sight of that wince as the man took his hand away. He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t disappointed. While Mark had been the first to show kindness, taking him into his home and fixing his wounds, that hand on his shoulder had been the first real source of comfort in years. 

He turned and saw the man’s gaze was directed at the table, the table that happened to have a stained towel on it with shards of glass that had been removed from his hand. His other one still needed attention though, every time he moved it even slightly he could literally feel the shards moving around, grating against bone and cutting deeper into muscle.

“Hey, what’s your name?” the man asked as he crouched to his level, “I’m Josh.” He clenched his jaw, he’d only just met this guy, why should he tell him his name? The only reason Mark knew was because he had visited the music shop whenever he could for months so he could play a certain piano there. Mark had put it up as a model instead of for sale specifically for him to use. 

Every time he went there Mark would try to talk to him, after the first few times he seemed to accept that he wasn’t one for conversation. He had asked him about the bruises he had one time but quickly understood that it only upset him and instead made the offer that he could come over whenever he wanted to. It was only after several months that he actually spoke after making sure that Mark was not any kind of a threat. 

The man, Josh, sighed before standing up, pulling a chair, and sitting directly in front of him. “Hold out your hand,” he said, his own outstretched. Josh said it gently but for some reason, he felt some kind of underlying tone of authority in his voice. “We should get that cleaned up. I’m sure it can’t be very comfortable.” He didn’t want to admit he was doing what he told him to because he liked that authority. 

He tried to blame it on the fact that Josh was right, it was extremely uncomfortable but he knew that this was the only time he had ever actually wanted to obey an order. He held his arm out and let Josh take hold. His sleeve was just slightly rolled up, just enough to try to keep any more blood from getting on it. Josh’s eyes flickered and he knew he was looking at the handprints on his wrist.

Even with the tattoos he had, the bruises were still very visible. He was thankful that Josh didn’t question though, it seemed, like Mark, Josh had figured out he didn’t like speaking. Josh turned his hand so his palm was facing up, grimacing at the shards of glass buried under the skin.

No matter how gentle Josh was, it hurt. The two women who had been standing there were now sitting at the bar next to each other. He could hear them asking each other why they didn’t just take him to the hospital at first, then they started asking about the bruises on his face but considering the fact that Mark hadn't taken him, they dropped the topic. There was no way in Hell he was gonna risk going to the hospital. He didn’t even want to think about what his father would do. Josh had introduced them as Debby and Jenna.

Blame it on the concussion he had from last week that never got to heal fully, but he was having trouble remembering which was which. Josh was talking to him in a soothing voice, he told him how they all went to the same school and was now in the middle of telling the story of how he had gotten the loop on his trousers stuck on a gate while walking to school and had to show up with his underwear showing through the large tear. He was a bit more relaxed now, he sat cross-legged, resting his head on his arm that was on the back of the chair. 

“There’s one more that I see but it’s kinda deep, I don’t know if it’s a good idea for me to do this,” said Josh before he turned to the girls and asked if one of them could. He must have seen the look of confusion on his face because he said, “they’re med students.” 

One of them walked over. Which one was it? He thought it might have been Jenna and he was proven right when the other girl said, “Jenny do you want any help?” She looked down at his hand and said, “eesh that looks painful oh you poor thing.” 

Josh got up and let her take his seat as she got to work. He tried his hardest to keep a straight face and not smile when Josh pulled up a chair to sit next to him and talk to him and he realised that Josh was actually trying to distract him from the pain. He looked nice, kind and obviously caring but his presence still had an air of something he didn’t know how to explain. Kinda dominating. And he kinda liked it. 

Josh shook his shoulder a little. He mentally facepalmed himself, Josh had asked him a question and he had been too busy fantasizing to even register what is was that he had asked. “Do you feel any other pieces?” he repeated. He flexed his hand slightly, while it was painful and still bleeding, he didn’t feel any. 

He shook his head and Josh smiled, eyes crinkling. Dang it, he was trying so hard not to give in. He just wanted to repeatedly bang his head against the table. Or be repeatedly banged against the table by Jo…. okay, he needed to stop that now. "This one still needs stitches though,” she said pointing to the deepest one. “Josh, can you come here a sec?” Mark called from the other room. 

Josh looked at him apologetically, shrugging slightly. “I’ll be right back,” he said, placing a hand on his thigh before standing and walking to Mark. He was blushing like crazy now. Jenna took notice of it and giggled. He covered his face with his bandaged hand while Jenna teased, “someone’s got a cruuuuush.” Debby jumped at that. “I demand to know the gossip,” she said, walking towards them. “He’s got a crush on your “boyfriend,” Jenna said. His head shot up and his heart dropped. Debby must have noticed because she said, “hun, I’m like suuuper gay, he’s all yours,” she smiled and wrapped her arms around Jenna. “And she’s all mine.” Aw gosh, that was cute. 

He’d never really been able to just hang around with anyone else who was gay. The only encounters he had were while he was working and they weren't something to be envied. When he was probably eight or nine, his father had forced him to go to his least favourite place ever, the playground, because his siblings wanted to go on the swings. He had stayed on his own, as far away from the other kids as possible.

There was another boy doing the same thing he was. He was a year or two older than him and seemed to be in charge of watching his little sister. They ended up talking and he had an instant crush on the boy. Apparently, his father didn’t like the way they were looking at each other. 

He hadn’t even noticed him until he grabbed him by the back of the shirt and dragged him to the car, opening the door and throwing him in before collecting his siblings. His father was silent the entire ride home, occasionally looking up into the mirror to glare at him. His siblings made it worse by asking him why he was crying, effectively pissing his father off even more. 

When they got home his father beat him till he was nearly unconscious before locking him in the tiny closet in his room. How ironic. He had thought it was cramped back then. Now, even though he was still way smaller than average, there was barely enough room to move around. The entire back wall had nails sticking out of it. He couldn’t count the number of times he had been spiked when his father had thrown him in there. Whenever he was let out, depending on the time his father thought was appropriate, he wasn’t allowed any food and had to recite Bible verses from memory.

If he messed up on even a single word he was punished. In his family, being gay was one of the worst sins. He had tried to deny who he was at first but he met a couple who lived a few roads over named Pete and Patrick. He had talked to them and met their friend, another man named Brendon who was pansexual. When his family found out, he was forbidden from ever seeing them again. They moved out six months later but gave him their numbers to hide so in the future they could someday meet each other again. 

He had been close with his sister Madison and especially his brother Zack but his father started turning them against him. When his parents divorced, his mother took all of his siblings, didn’t even look at him as she walked out the door. He hated her almost as much as his father. Since that day, he saw his siblings three times and each time it ended with him having to run away. It was bad enough with his father add Zack and his other brother Jay. 

“Jenna, Debby, can you come talk real quick,” Mark called as Josh walked back to sit in front of him. “I stitched him up but I haven’t bandaged him yet,” Jenna replied. “I can do that,” said Josh as he walked over to him. He looked kind of pissed and certainly sounded like it, Mark did as well. He started feeling scared. Was it because of him? Josh sighed hard and sat down, “they lost the case file on the break in. They wanted us to recount our stories because we were the ones who found it. Didn’t even want to take the time to talk in person, that’s some real professionalism,” he said. Oh, thank God it wasn’t him.

While he was relieved, he still felt somewhat upset. Mark was the closest thing he had to a friend and he knew how much the shop meant to him. “This happened one time when my father was trying to prosecute for a murder trial. Guy killed his wife. They had more than enough to put him away but it suddenly went, ‘missing’” he said in air quotes. “He was a friend of the police chief so we know why that happened. Because they didn’t have any evidence anymore, they had to acquit and since there’s no Double Jeopardy when the guy admitted it a month later, they couldn’t do anything,” he said. He looked at the alcohol and held it up, “did she disinfect?"

Oh, Lord. 

This was not gonna be fun. 

_____POV Switch__________________

He saw the boy's face drop and his own heart dropped with it. It was like kicking a puppy, it just felt cruel. He sighed and said, "I'm sorry but it'll become infected if we don't." The boy nodded and held out his hand. Josh took it lightly but with a firm grip. He knew the boy was going to pull away, it's natural human instinct to try to avoid pain. He poured the alcohol and as he suspected, the boy tried to yank his hand away but Josh had a tight grip. 

The boy hissed, tears forming in his eyes. "There, see? It's all done. It just has to be bandaged," he said, trying to comfort the boy. He gave a soothing rub to the back of his hand and he pulled out bandages. He placed a small square of gauze on the wound before starting to wrap it. The boy couldn't sit still, constantly shifting slightly even though it was obvious he was trying to keep himself in place. Josh wished he had asked Mark what the kid's name was.

Once in a while, Josh would glance up to find him looking right at him. Whenever he caught him staring, the boy would turn away, blushing hard. It stood out strong against the bruises that made Josh's heart ache just looking at. He starting wondering where they had come from. What did it? Anytime he moved though, the boy flinched. The better question now was, who did it? Who would hurt anyone like that especially a kid? 

There were faded bruises underneath these ones and he felt sick to his stomach when he caught sight bruises along the boy's neck. There was a visible handprint there as well as his on his wrists. His sleeve had rolled up just slightly earlier and the marks on his left side particularly were so bad Josh thought it was possible there was a fracture. 

Suddenly, a loud buzz sounded and the boy nearly jumped out of his skin with a sharp intake of breath which caused him to double over, gripping the left side of his ribs. It was small flip phone lying by the stove. He didn't recognize it so he assumed it must belong to the boy. Speaking of whom, the kid's face had drained of all colour as he gave a horrified look to the clock on the wall. It was a little after 10:30 and the boy shot out of his seat stumbling for the phone. He took a look at the caller ID then ran towards the door. 

"Wait! Where are you going?" asked Josh. The boy pointed to the door, as he opened it he turned towards him and shyly said, "I'm Tyler" before running out. Josh stood there completely stunned not knowing what to do. Tyler. That was his name. Josh made up his mind then and there that he was going to see Tyler again. Nobody had ever captured his interest like this. He had a lot of questions to ask Mark. 


	2. Chapter 2

Trigger warning for prostitution later in the chapter

"One day he started coming to the shop to play this crappy little keyboard and it became a routine thing. I always talked to him but he never spoke a word. I'm surprised he even made a sound let alone actually told you his name. It took me months to get him to speak instead of just nodding yes/no or making gestures," Mark explained. Josh, Debby, and Jenna were sat around him on the couch listening to him speak. 

The pizza had arrived shortly after Tyler had left, what remained of it was beginning to get cold. They hadn't watched a movie, they were too interested in this strange boy who had run out of the apartment like it was on fire. "Sometimes, he would come in every day but other times he would be missing for awhile and when he did come back he looked horrible. I think there's something going on at home but every time I asked him about it, he kinda just shut down and looked really uncomfortable," he continued. "He's a crazy talented musician though, he writes his own and you should hear it it's amazing," he said. 

Josh just couldn't get those eyes out of his head. Every time he closed his own, it was all he could see. He could imagine Tyler, sitting on the piano bench, playing a song he wrote on his own. He felt a bit of anger flicker in him when he thought about the injuries the boy had suffered as well as the confirmation from Mark about it. This kid was suffering from whatever was happening in his home life. 

Josh had an overwhelming feeling of protection, he needed to get Tyler away from his situation. He thought about that a bit more. He had met this boy once for only an hour or so and he was already planning on taking him in. "How old is he?" Debby asked. "He's sixteen, he mentioned once that as soon as he turns seventeen he's gonna get emancipated so he could be on his own. I offered him to live here cuz I don't know how he could provide for himself. I don't think he goes to school considering the times he stopped by at, all the high schools around this area start at 7:30 and end at 3:15 (my times irl) He's a good kid though without a doubt, he showed this little girl one time how to play Chopsticks. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen." Mark said.

"Do you think he'll come back here anytime soon?" Jenna asked, "I kinda want to see him again, he was so adorable. I think he's got a bit of a thing for you, Josh," she said. "Ohhhhh yeah, he looked so sad when Jenny made a joke about you being my boyfriend but we assured him that I'm hella gay and oh God Jenna's right, he's sooooo adorable," Debby chimed. 

Josh couldn't help feeling a bit satisfied at that, Tyler had a crush on him, good to know this wasn't just a one-sided thing. But he was sixteen. Seventeen was the legal age of consent here. He was thinking about being in a relationship with a minor. A nearly twenty-five-year-old and a sixteen-year-old... almost a nine-year age gap. Add to the fact that he was going to school for Law and his dad was a retired prosecutor, this was not a good combo. 

Even so, he couldn't help but think about the teen. "I don't know, he kinda shows up sporadically and considering what happened tonight, it may be a while," Mark said. "Did he tell you what happened?" Jenna asked. "Actually I was driving home and I saw him walking down the street kind of stumbling. I knew it was him but I thought he might have been drunk so I stopped and then I noticed he was just dripping blood. I brought him back here and asked him what happened, he said he had landed on the glass of a broken window. I asked him how and he didn't answer but when I asked where he was going he said, 'anywhere but home' so I don't know when he'll show up again but I'll be sure to tell you," Mark said.

They all stayed the night at Mark's and returned to their own places around noon. After the girls had left, Mark pulled Josh to the side and said, "I have Tyler's number if you want it, he gave it to me once but I think he may have had a concussion. He didn't really seem to remember and then got kind of weirded out wondering how I got it when I texted him." Josh typed the number into his phone before walking back home. He decided to wait to text Tyler until the next time the boy returned to the shop.

___POV Switch__A Few Weeks Later___

Trigger warning prostitution here

Tyler got out of the man's car carrying about two hundred and fifty dollars and slipped behind a row of hedges to change his clothing. He pulled on his jeans and straightened his shirt, tying his sneakers and removing his makeup with wipes. He pulled off the press on nails and undid his necklace. He stuffed his pink skirt, crop top, and heels into his rucksack before walking the several blocks to the woods behind his house and tucking the bag into an opening in a tree. He looked down at his hands, they were healed mostly, only raised pink lines remained. 

While the others were healed the deepest one was darker and more raised than the rest. He was able to take the stitches out but had gotten an infection about two days after because he didn't have any clean bandages to use. He had to steal some of his father's liquor to use for antiseptic. When he had noticed the missing alcohol he locked Tyler in the closet for hours. He told his father he had a job at a grocery store so he was able to replace it when in fact his job was "servicing" some of the local men. He hadn't been around other gay people in the sense of just hanging out but he'd been around in a very different way. 

He was a born entertainer and since he couldn't perform as a musician he could perform in some other way even if it wasn't ideal. Either way, he needed the money. His father didn't give him any to buy supplies for the house so he needed to make it himself somehow or else he would be in danger if his father didn't get his lovely home cooked meals and have his messes cleaned up behind him. 

The guy in the car was a regular client for "Mia" which was the name Tyler went by when working. He wasn't Tyler's favourite but he paid well and didn't ask for anything too much. While he liked it rough, Tyler had been propositioned for some things that he just wouldn't stand for. Ranging anywhere from acts using bodily functions to simple things like Tyler topping which he would never as long as he lived and even if he came back from the dead and was a zombie. He was okay with riding but other than that he didn't like taking control. 

He wanted to be told what to do. But only by certain people. His father was not one of them. Josh was though. He couldn't stop thinking about the man. He hadn't seen him since that day in September weeks ago. It was almost Halloween, his favourite holiday. It was the one day to dress up and be a different person with little judgment from others.

Tyler was counting down the days until his birthday. The 1st of December would be the best day of his entire life. The first thing he would do is go down to the court and receive his documents. He already filed the paperwork but his father had been battling to keep custody, he didn't want to lose his personal maid and human punching bag. Tyler had been speaking to the local judge for a long time and while she didn't have the authority to charge his father with child abuse, she was able to finally emancipate him when he reached his next birthday. 

She sent a complaint to a criminal court but it would do nothing since Tyler wasn't going to press charges. He didn't want to be around his father any more than he had to be and was not willing to spend what little money he had been saving in order to rent a small apartment as far away as possible on a lawyer. All he was going to bring along with him was clothing and his beloved notebook that contained music he composed. When he finally had enough money, he was going to buy the little keyboard at Mark's shop that he always played. 

He would still visit all the time though because Mark was one of the few friends he had. He was headed there now after hiding his duffle. He had a new song he wrote that he wanted to see how it sounded. He didn't have any instruments so he had to memorize the sound of the keys so when he wrote he would be able to somewhat imagine what it would sound like. It was nearing 6 pm and the shop closed at 6:30 but Mark always let him stay and play. The Autumn sun would be going down in an hour or two so he began walking. 

________POV Switch__________

Josh was stressing. His Bar exam was scheduled to be at 3 pm the day before Halloween. He knew all the material inside and out, but, it still worried him. He groaned when his phone's text alert interrupted the song he was listening to. He needed to study but he also needed a break. He saw the text was from Mark and after looking at the time it dawned on him that he hadn't eaten at all and had been in the same spot for hours. He opened the messages and smiled when he saw the words.

Tyler @ the shop. Come over??

Josh gladly tossed his books aside and shut down his computer before grabbing a shirt, he was out the door in less than a minute. When he got into his truck, he felt his stomach growl and for a moment contemplated going back to grab an apple or something. Instead, he had a better idea. He was going to invite both Tyler and Mark out to eat dinner since it was so late. He knew Tyler probably wouldn't accept his offer if it was just Josh and he might feel a bit more comfortable if Mark came along. The last thing Josh wanted to do was scare him off. 

God, how did this undersized little teenager get into his head? Josh was beginning to feel like HE was a teen again from all the pining he was doing lately. He had been waiting on edge for Mark to let him know Tyler was back. He had the boy's number but knew if he messaged Tyler before seeing him again it would freak him out. He'd battled with himself over it so much. All he wanted to do was talk to him. He had been worrying since the moment Tyler ran out and even more so as weeks passed without any kind of response when Mark had texted him. 

With all the injuries the teen had when Josh had met him, he was worried that Tyler may have met an even worse danger when he went home after the look he'd given when he saw his phone. Anger flared up in Josh as he remembered the damage done to the kid. All the bruises that littered his face, the glass shards, and particularly the handprints on his throat and wrists. He knew how much force it would take to cause marks like that from all the murder cases his father worked and listening to the Medical Examiners explain in detail while testifying. 

His father had brought him along to court from the age of 16 to experience what it was like. There was one particular case though that put him off of Criminal Justice. A woman was reported several times for neglecting and abusing her children but kept having more in order to collect Child Support checks which she used on herself. In the end, it led to the death of two of the kids from starvation. 

The whole thing could have been stopped had authorities intervened. The woman was only given 3 years of parole for a Plea bargain in which she ratted on her ex who was being investigated for murder. The children deserved more justice than that and it left him disgusted by the System. His father's firm started specializing in wills and business disputes and while Josh found it boring, he would only have to do it for a year or two. He accepted what it was and hoped in the future maybe if the corruption of the local judges and the System itself changed, he would consider Criminal Justice. 

He arrived at the shop soon after and upon entering was struck with the sight of Tyler at the keyboard he always played. He was too absorbed in the music to even notice the bell as it rang out loud when the door opened. Josh listened closely and walked around slightly to watch Tyler's hands dance across the keys. It sounded beautiful but sad, representing the one who wrote it. He came up with a drum beat in his head that played along to the melody. 

He used to play for a band called, "House of Heroes" a couple years ago during high school but left after his college acceptance. The song was like waves in the ocean, rising and falling in intensity and Josh was fully entranced, Mark was too as he leaned against the counter watching the boy. Tyler was in a completely different world, separate from their own, detached from everything around him and feeling nothing except the music and both of them could see it. He swayed slightly, head nodding and lips silently mouthing words. 

Although he had sheet music in front of him, his eyes were closed. It wasn't real music sheets, shaky hand drawn lines crossed the pages with little notes dotted along and small writing above it which Josh assumed were lyrics. When the song finished, Tyler opened his eyes, jolting a little when he turned and saw Josh standing there. Josh smiled at him when he saw a bright blush spread across his face. 

He was happy to notice that the bruises that were on his cheek were gone and his split lip and eyebrow were healed. Tyler shifted in his seat eyes darting around until avoiding Josh's gaze and then awkwardly hesitantly waved at him without looking at him and Josh couldn't help but chuckle. He wanted desperately to say something but couldn't think of anything, thankfully he didn't have to because Mark said, "that was awesome. What's that one called?" 

Tyler bit his lip obviously nervous to speak and Josh couldn't help but stare cause damn he looked good doing that. Tyler shrugged slightly before saying, "I don't know what to call it yet." Mark seemed a little shocked that Tyler had actually answered so Josh said, "I liked it." Tyler tried to hide his smile it made him look ten times cuter to Josh. 

"So I just wanted to see if you guys wanted to come have dinner," Josh said hoping Mark would play along. He seemed to know right away so he said, "yeah sure I'm down. Tyler you wanna come?" The boy looked like he was about to shake his head but after being assured by Mark that it would be fun he gave in and agreed. Josh smiled wide before asking the two of them, "how 'bout the diner that's pretty close by?" 

Tyler looked to Mark who said, "sure why not?" and headed to the door. When Josh got to it, he held it open to let Tyler pass. It seemed the boy had an ever-present blush and it was just so adorable to Josh he just wanted to hug him tight and hold him forever. Mark walked straight to Josh's truck and waited for him to unlock the passenger side. It was new, he'd only had it for a couple months after his beloved red 1978 Dodge Ram was totaled. 

Josh paid for it himself, he didn't want to take any more money from his father. It was a grey 2017 Honda Ridgeline that could fit two or three people in the bed so he took it quite often to go camping or to outdoor concerts with friends. He unlocked the door for Mark and opened the back door for Tyler holding out his hand to help the short boy into the seat. He wanted to see that blush again and was not disappointed when the boy's face flushed bright red before looking down and allowing Josh to take his hand. 

Josh couldn't help but notice how soft Tyler's hands were despite the lines from the shards of glass. He shut the door when the boy was settled in his seat and secured his belt. Once he settled himself into his own seat, he started up the engine and with a look into his rearview mirror to check on Tyler, he left the parking space thinking about how he was gonna get Tyler to open up to him. 


	3. Chapter 3

Tyler had a full-on mental debate in his head when Josh asked him to come to dinner. Should he go or should he just leave? He was going to say no but then he saw the look on Josh's face. Maybe he was misinterpreting it but it seemed like hope. After some consideration and Mark's assurance, he gave in. The smile on Josh's face was well worth it. Mark seemed shocked at first but gave Josh a small smile as he turned towards the door. 

Tyler was in the midst of following them out the door when Josh held it open for him to pass. He stopped dead in his track and felt his face heat up. He looked down at the ground, biting his lip as he passed through the open door and did everything he could to avoid eye contact. He didn't think he could blush any harder but was proven wrong when Josh held out a hand to help him into the truck and he knew at this point his face must have been redder than what was thought to be possible. 

Tyler watched the world whirl by as they drove, his mind racing as his brain caught up with what was happening. What the Hell was he doing here? How did he end up agreeing to this? He was trying his hardest not to panic. It's not like he'd never been out with a man but this was Josh. Any person he'd ever encountered meant absolutely nothing compared to Josh because Josh was the only one he had ever felt actual feelings for and it kind of scared him as to how strong they were.

He had told his father that he was working late tonight so at least he could relax and not worry about him getting pissed off if he didn't answer his phone. He already cooked a meal for him earlier, all he had to do was heat it up. He probably should have been worried because mixing a drunkard and an oven was never a good idea. But honestly, he didn't care in fact he actually kinda hoped something would happen. That would solve the majority of his problems for sure. 

He would have until half past 3 am, giving him plenty of time to just enjoy himself for once. Mark informed them that Jenna and Debby would be meeting them at the diner. While Tyler liked them, it made him nervous that there would be more people there. He wasn't very good with normal social interaction. You know, not the kind of interaction used in the bedroom. He kept looking up into the rearview mirror to see Josh's reflection only for Josh to do the same with him, making eye contact accidentally multiple times. Mark smirked every once in a while seeing it all.

When they arrived at the diner, they hopped out of the truck and entered, being escorted to a table where Jenna and Debby already were. Josh ordered a burger, Mark ordered a BLT, Jenna and Debby shared a panini and Tyler ordered pasta. Not his favourite food but he didn't want to eat something messy in front of Josh no matter how good a burger with mac n cheese on it sounded. 

He watched a comedian once who talked about when going on a first date women always order something like a salad because they didn't want to seem like a slob. She described perfectly what he was experiencing right now. Not getting what you want so you look good in front of your date while they usually order something big and tasty and you just want to steal fries off their plates whenever they look away. 

He opened up a little, having an actual conversation with all of them. It kind of shocked him really, how at ease he felt with them. He talked about wanting to go to school for music and they shared their own stories of their adventures at their college. Debby talked about the time she pretended to be straight and hit on a guy just so she could see the inside of one of the Frat houses. 

As soon as Josh took a bite of his burger the entire thing started sliding out the back of it. His eyes widened and he jerked forward over his plate letting out a noise of surprise. Mark choked on his lemonade and Tyler covered his mouth as he broke into a fit of giggles. "God, get it together, man," Jenna chuckled while Debby face-palmed. Josh snorted as he put the remains of his burger down and looked around for a napkin, hands covered in ketchup. Tyler held out his own which Josh took, shooting him an appreciative smile. 

He froze when he looked up and saw someone enter the diner. 

_______POV Switch________________

Josh was wiping his hands clean when he noticed Tyler had stopped laughing. His face had turned pale and he looked terrified. Josh was about to ask what was wrong when the teen suddenly ducked down underneath the table. Alarmed, he turned to Mark who nodded his head towards a rugged looking man who had just entered. 

They watched as the man stumbled to the counter and slurred out an order, obviously drunk. The woman at the desk seemed to be telling him he had to sit down and wait for a server. Apparently, he didn't like that. He began shouting angrily that they were denying him service and started grabbing things off the counter and throwing them on the ground. Debby grabbed onto Jenna's hand nervously. The manager told one of the servers to call the police and the man whipped around starting to stomp to the door but did a double-take towards their table. 

"TYLER!?" he shouted in disbelief. The teen had been peering over the edge of the table to watch what was happening and he ducked down again as the man stomped towards them. "Boy, you better get your ass out here now," he practically growled. Tyler stumbled out from under the table. The man grabbed him by the back of the shirt, hoisting him away to the door. Both Josh and Mark shot up from their seats. 

Josh stepped in front of them, blocking the way. "Move," the man barked. "Not until you let him go," he said, coolly. Tyler looked up at him, shaking his head with wide eyes. The man pulled Tyler closer to him, hand gripping hard on his shoulder, too tight, obviously hurting the teen and Josh's body flared with anger but he kept calm, knowing it would only escalate things if he reacted. 

The man sneered at him, "who the fuck are you?" Josh stood up taller, "I'm his friend. Who are you?" Tyler dropped his head down, covering his face. "I'm his father, we're going home," he said, moving to go around Josh. 

"No, you're not taking him," he said, once again stepping in front of them. The man opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by the faint sound of sirens. He snarled, grabbing the teens by his shoulders and growling something into his ear before pushing him. Jenna caught him and the man turned to Josh, getting up in his face and saying, "you better watch yourself," before walking out the door. They watched the man get into an old rusted truck and drive away. Didn't he ever learn about drinking and driving in school? 

He fought to keep his anger down. He didn't need to scare the boy accidentally. "You okay, Ty?" he asked. Tyler looked down nodding his head but he really seemed like he was about to cry. He pulled the boy into a tight hug, rubbing his shoulder where he had seen the guy grab. Tyler returned the embrace, "thank you," he said, quietly. 

The police arrived a minute or two later and questioned the manager and servers. They tried to ask Tyler what had happened after a waiter pointed him out but Tyler refused to say anything. Josh and the others gave their accounts on what happened and Josh quietly pulled one of the officers to the side and mentioned the teen's injuries from the day they met. She took notes as he spoke and assured him they would look into it. 

Once they had left the diner, Josh started thinking about where Tyler would stay for the night. Jenna and Debby didn't have any room and Mark was having construction done after finding the kitchen sink had been leaking and destroyed the floor boards so he was sleeping at a friend's house. "You're gonna stay with me tonight, is that okay?" he asked, gently. Tyler blushed again before giving a small nod. 

They all exchanged cell phone numbers and then they parted ways, agreeing to hang out together again soon and Josh escorted Tyler to his truck. He was looking around nervously, maybe worried his father was still around. Josh had so many questions he wanted to ask but he didn't want to upset him. There was no way he was going to allow that piece of scum to take him away. 

He put his arm around Tyler's shoulder pulling him close, "I got you, okay?" Tyler put his own hand on Josh's, leaning in closer to him as they walked. Josh couldn't help but feel his heart warm. He knew that this meant he was taking the responsibility of protecting this teen and he gladly accepted that. He would do everything in his power to make sure that Tyler was safe and out of reach from anything that would hurt him. He was going to get that kid out of his current situation no matter what. 

________POV Switch________________

The moment he saw his father, he knew something bad was gonna happen. He ducked under the table as fast as possible but when he heard his dad yelling, he tried to look over the side of the table. To be honest, he was scared for the safety of the restaurant staff. As he watched his father throwing things, he knew he was going to be the one who would have to pay the fines for the damaged property. When his dad turned and saw him, he knew he was absolute, positively, screwed.

As his father demanded him out from under the table and grabbed ahold of him, he saw Josh and Mark stand up. He was praying that they would stay out of the way and then cursed as Josh did the exact opposite and stepped in front of the exit. He was terrified, he didn't want Josh getting hurt and silently pleaded with him, shaking his head, hoping Josh would back off. 

He tried not to wince when his dad dug his nails into his shoulder but he saw Josh's glare. When his father said they were leaving, Josh challenged him saying he wasn't going to take Tyler anywhere. He looked at the ground, bracing himself for the fight that was bound to ensue when everything went silent except for the sound of a police siren. 

His father grabbed him harshly by the shoulders, growling into his ear, "you better be back home by tomorrow or I'll make you and your 'friend' regret it." He pushed him away hard, he was thankful Jenna caught him cause he had been on route to hitting his head on the table. His dad glared at Josh who returned it right back at him as he got in his face, whispering something before stomping out and into the old pickup.

"You okay, Ty?" Josh asked. His heart fluttered a little at the nickname but he felt so ashamed that Josh had to place himself in danger like that and was embarrassed that everyone had seen the kind of life he dealt with. But of course, he couldn't say that out loud so instead he looked at the ground and nodded but he felt tears in his eyes. He was shocked when Josh pulled him into a hug. 

There was no way he could express his gratitude other than returning the embrace and saying, "thank you." He didn't say anything to the police, he was so close to getting free he didn't want to deal with legal stuff. When they left the diner, Josh informed him that he was going to be staying at his place tonight and Tyler's brain nearly exploded.

Was this a dream come true? Yes, yes it was. He guessed the rest of the group thought it was best to leave the topic of his father alone and instead exchanged numbers. He inputted them into his phone and sent a text to them so they had his. It made him a little nervous, the only people who had his number were his father and his clients. 

As Josh walked him back to his car, he couldn't help it as his eyes darted around, scanning for any sign of his father. It didn't seem too far-fetched for him to have been waiting outside to attack Josh. His dad had waited in front of a house one time with him for three hours to confront a guy who had cut him off on the highway. It didn't go so well for the man, as far as Tyler knew, he was in physical therapy. Probably psychological therapy as well. 

He was so nervous it took him a moment to register the arm that slid around his shoulder, pulling him in. "I got you, okay?" Josh's soothing voice assured him. He wasn't thinking when he placed his hand on top of Josh's and leaned in closer but the man didn't seem to have an objection. 

When they were finally in Josh's truck, he turned the heater on low. It had gotten a bit chilly but not too much that it had to be blasted. He turned on the radio and Tyler grinned when the car was filled with the sound of Arctic Monkeys. "You like them?" Josh asked when he had glanced over and seen his smile. He nodded as he buckled his seatbelt. "Yeah, I want to see them if they're at the next Firefly Festival," Josh said, tapping his hands against the steering wheel to the beat of the drums. 

The tension in his shoulders relaxed as the warmth of the heater soaked into his bones. He knew it wasn't just that though that allowed him to let his guard slide slightly. It was the fact that he felt safe with Josh. This man who he hadn't known for very long, made him feel protected. He had stood up against the one Tyler feared the most and showed him the sort of affection he craved the most. 

It also made him sad though. He knew at some point he would have to leave his company and return home to what was certainly going to be a VERY pissed off father. He was going to have to sneak out early in the morning. He knew his father too well to even for one moment think, he would be let off the hook. 

The only time his father willingly interacted with police was when it had to do with Tyler. He had attempted to run away two or three times and his father had always sicked officers on him. Without a doubt, he would say Josh had abducted his son and Tyler wasn't willing to let Josh get in trouble because of him. He'd already caused him enough issue. 

They arrived at Josh's apartment complex soon after. Tyler was shocked when he saw it. All the complexes he had ever stayed in had been run down and falling apart but Josh's was amazing. It was on the third story and the building was at the top of an incline which gave the perfect view from the outdoor patios the apartments had. They could see the whole city and the traffic sounds were faint. There was a giant gated pool in the complex, it was so deep, they had diving boards. 

Josh's apartment had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room where there were two couches facing a large television. It was a little messy. Josh's textbooks and papers were scattered everywhere and there were several empty coffee mugs dotted in different places. "Sorry about the mess. Got my exam coming soon and I put-off studying a little too long," he said as he placed his key into a bowl on the kitchen counter. 

"No worries, 'm a professional procrastinator as well" Tyler replied as he looked around, taking the place in. "I like that, 'Professional procrastinator,'" Josh chuckled, "that's what I'm going to say from now on." As Josh led him to the room he would be staying in Tyler was stopped by one of the many paintings that lined the walls. It looked like it was made by multiple people. 

"My siblings always try to outdo each other, they wanted to see who was the best artist," he said, shaking his head. "How many do you have?" Tyler asked, still caught up in the painting. "Three, a brother and two sisters," he said, "do you have any?" 

Ohhhhh, he was setting himself up for that question to be asked and it still felt like a slap in the face. "Three as well, two brothers and a sister but... we don't really talk," he said, eyes drifting to the floor. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to an understanding smile as Josh led him to the room. 

"Bathroom's right there," Josh said, "if you need anything my room's right down there," he pointed. "Thank you," Tyler nodded. What else could he say to show his appreciation for everything? Josh gave him a smile before bidding him good night and going to his own room. 

The bedroom was a light grey with a large window and a Queen sized bed. There was an empty dresser and a closet with sliding doors. It was much larger than his own and when he sat down on the bed, he nearly moaned. It was so soft, he pressed his hand down and watched the imprint fade away as he lifted it. 

He fell asleep quickly. It surprised him when he woke up. He always had trouble sleeping but maybe it was because he was near Josh and he felt safe enough to let his guard down. It was nearing 5 am and he knew he had to leave before his father fulfilled his promise of making them 'regret it'. 

He tip-toed out of the room as quietly as possible and picked up one of the papers strewn about. It took him a moment to find something to write with but when he did, he scribbled a note to Josh. 

It pained him greatly looking back at the complex as he walked down the street. The safety he felt being near Josh started fading and he filled with anxiety about going home and guilt about leaving. 

He dreaded what was going to happen when he returned home. 


	4. Chapter 4

Josh never knew how many curse words he had in his vocabulary until he knocked on Tyler's door only to find the teen no longer there. He looked around the apartment for any sign of the boy until he found a note written on the back of one of his papers.

In pretty, neat handwriting it said, "Thank you for everything. I can't stay any longer because I know my father and what he'll do to get me back. I don't want you to get in trouble." - Tyler

Josh facepalmed. He should've known something like this would happen. He didn't like how Tyler worried about him instead of himself. Josh was deeply concerned for Tyler's safety.

He sent a text and prayed the teen was alright.

_________POV Switch_______________________

Tyler pressed his battered body against the locked door of the closet, trying to avoid the spiked wall. Thankfully, now that the police had been brought into the situation, his father avoided his face. Unfortunately, that meant the rest of his body took a Hell of a beating.

He was sure he had at least two or three broken ribs. The right side of his lower back was bleeding through his shirt after hitting the sharp edge of the living room table. Everything hurt and he groaned when he shifted his legs to keep them from going numb.

He felt painfully nauseous from the kicks his stomach took. He was worried that there may even be some internal bleeding. That would just be the cherry on top of the fail-cake that was his life.

This was one of the worst beatings Tyler had ever endured. The moment he walked through the door, he was grabbed by his shirt and thrown. His back caught the corner of the table before he hit the ground.

He was dragged into an open area and blow after blow by a baseball bat rained down on him as his father screamed at him. He curled in on himself, trying to cover his ribs but it did nothing.

He cried out when a kick connected with his stomach and he did his best to protect himself but in the end, there was nothing he could do but let his father vent. He was dragged and thrown into the closet, slamming into the back wall and his right thigh and shoulder were impaled by hundreds of crooked nails.

An hour later he was pulled out and beaten again only to be tossed back in. It happened again sometime after that and then his father left, probably to go to a bar or something. All in all, he'd taken three beatings and he felt like absolute shite.

Tyler felt a faint vibration by his ankle and a dim light flooded the area. His phone was here!

After some time spent trying to push the phone towards him without hitting the wall, he gave up and kicked it towards him, eyes flooding with tears as the sharp nails sunk into the already torn up area of his thigh.

He saw he had a previous notification but he focused on the one he just got. It was Eric, Tyler's least favourite client.

**Dickhead** : where r u bitch Im horny

Tyler gritted his teeth as he answered as politely as he could at the moment.

You: I'm sorry, I can't talk right now.

Eric's kink was humiliation and domination. Tyler enjoyed both of those things but Eric was just too much. It was all the stuff Eric would never say or do to his wife but he had no problem doing it to an underaged transvestite.

**Dickhead** : u little slut i pay you good money now put on that white dress i like and i'll pick u up

You: I really can't right now. I'll make it up to you, I promise.

He could imagine how angry Eric probably was. Sucks for him, he'd have to take care of his unsatisfyingly sized dick on his own.

Tyler rolled his eyes as he felt the phone in his hand, vibrate again. He put Eric on mute. He looked at the screen and saw a notification from a different person he received a couple hours ago. Josh. Oh no, he didn't want to deal with guilt at the moment but couldn't stop himself from reading it.

**Josh** : are you okay?

Wow. He did not expect that. He thought Josh was gonna be angry at him for leaving. Instead, he was met with only concern about his safety. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to tell him that he was currently locked in a closet, bleeding and broken. But... he didn't want to lie to Josh either.

You: Got in a bit of trouble.

It was the only thing he could think of. It was the truth without telling the _whole_  truth.

**Josh** : but are you okay?

Dang. Josh saw right through that. He didn't want to tell him how bad it really was.

You: A little banged up but I'll be fine.

**Josh** : where are you?

You: At home.

**Josh** : is your father there right now?

You: No. He left awhile ago.

**Josh** : when do you think he'll be back?

You: Idk

You: Why?

**Josh** : i'm gonna pick you up

You: You don't know where I live.

**Josh** : i will if you tell me

Before Tyler could think about what he was actually saying, he typed.

You: Usually, when you ask for a girl's address it's to go on a date.

DID HE JUST SAY 'GIRL'? HE LITERALLY JUST CALLED HIMSELF A GIRL RIGHT TO JOSH. WHAT THE HELL WAS HIS BRAIN THINKING???

Tyler cringed, banging his head against the door as he saw the text bubble, showing Josh was typing. His jaw dropped when he read it.

**Josh** : think of it as a knight in shining armour coming to save his princess

Christ on a cross.

Josh just called him, " _his princess_."

Tyler was gonna have a brain aneurysm. But, of course, the exact moment he was going to give in and tell his Knight where he was, he heard the front door open. He typed frantically.

You: I just heard my dad come in.

You: I have to go.

**Josh** : tell me where you are Ty I can come get you

He heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs so he hid his phone in the corner, hoping it wouldn't be seen. His father was breathing heavily. Either from the exertion of going up the steps or from anger, Tyler didn't know.

"Are you with that man?" he growled. Tyler didn't understand the question. What was he talking about? In his confusion, he forgot to give a reply.

"Answer me, boy! Have you sinned with that man who was at the diner?" he yelled, banging his fist on the door of the closet. "No!" Tyler shouted, "he's just a friend. He's a Christian too, he had a cross on the wall!"

Tyler realised what a fatal mistake he had just made the moment the words left his mouth. "YOU'VE BEEN TO HIS HOUSE?!" his father yanked the door open, dragging him out and pulling him up, pinning him to the wall.

"What did you do with him?" his father hissed through gritted teeth, leaning in close to Tyler's face.

"Nothing, Sir. We didn't do anything. I went over to his home one time," he said, trying to control the rising nausea he felt. "Say it," his father growled.

"'If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.' King James' Leviticus 20:13" he gasped out.

His father dropped him to the floor. "Remember that. Get out, I don't want to see you again today," he said, a look of disgust plastered across his face. He walked out and Tyler let out a sigh of relief as he heard his father enter his own bedroom.

He stood up, groaning as his body protested. He retrieved his phone and looked to see nineteen new notifications. All but one were from Josh. The one, of course, being Eric telling Tyler next time they meet should be free.

He read Josh's messages before sending him one.

You: I can leave, I'm on my way to Mark's.

**Josh** : I can pick you up just tell me where

You: Do you know the church by the big water fountain that never runs?

**Josh** : yeah

**Josh** : i'll be there soon

Tyler began the journey there. It took a lot longer than normal due to his battered body wanting to stop after every step. When he (finally) got there, Josh was in front of the fountain, pacing back and forth.

He stopped when he saw Tyler, hurrying towards him and embracing him, asking if he was okay. Tyler couldn't help the sound of pain he made when his injured ribs were pressed on. Josh quickly let go, leaning down and apologising profusely. He froze, making Tyler panic for a moment thinking he had done something wrong.

Instead, Josh moved his hand to show Tyler what was on it. "You're bleeding," he said, concern lowering his voice. "I'm taking you to the hospital," he said, turning to walk Tyler to his car. "NO!" Tyler shouted, pulling on Josh's arm, "please. I don't want to go, please." He vaguely processed that he had begun crying.

Josh's face softened and he placed his clean hand against Tyler's cheek, wiping away a tear. He nodded and led the teen to his car where he laid a blanket down on the seat. Tyler groaned as he climbed into the truck while Josh looked for a towel in the back for him to press against his wounds.

During the drive, Tyler began to fall asleep. He woke up completely when two strong arms gently lifted him out of the car and carried him into the apartment. Josh placed him down lightly on the table and moved to get first aid supplies from a cupboard.

When he had them all laid out, he pulled off Tyler's sweater, leaving him in a plain black t-shirt. His entire right arm was covered in blood from his shoulder which was still bleeding slightly but they couldn't see exactly which area. Josh pinched between his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "I'm gonna have you take a shower so I can see what needs to be dealt with, okay?" he questioned.

Tyler blushed, "I don't have any other clothes," he said. "That's okay, you can wear some of my stuff," Josh replied, nonchalantly. He helped Tyler off the table and led him to the bathroom, handing him a towel and explaining how the shower dials worked. He told him to put his dirty clothes in the basket by the door and if he needed anything just call.

Tyler began peeling off his blood-soaked clothes, wincing as his jeans aggravated his injured thigh. All along the side were hundreds of tiny, deep puncture wounds. If he had Trypophobia, he'd be screwed. He dumped his clothes in the hamper and avoided looking in the mirror while walking to the shower. He didn't want to see himself.

It took all of Tyler's will, not to scream as he stepped into the spray of the warm water. It stung his open wounds and he bit his hand to try and keep quiet. The water that pooled around his feet, ran bright red as he began to scrub off the dried clumps of blood. He heard a knock on the door followed by Josh's voice saying, "hey, I've got some clothes. I'm gonna leave them on the seat in there."

It would be a lie if Tyler said he didn't think about how hot Josh would look in the shower when Josh opened the door to place the clothes down. "You okay?" Josh asked gently. "Yeah," he croaked, "I'll be out in a minute."

Even with his body in its current condition, he was still a teenage boy and Josh was still a crazy hot guy. He found himself getting a little ' _excited_ ' when Josh closed the door and his brain flooded with images. Josh fucking him in the shower, pinning Tyler against the wall while he pounded into him. Being handcuffed to the bed with Josh bringing him over the edge again and again.

Tyler wrapped a hand around himself, imagining it was Josh's and held back a moan. Something that his clients either loved or hated, he was (loud.) He couldn't help it. His body was a lot more sensitive than others. It was also a lot smaller than others. Most of the guys he hooked up with were twice his size and hung like horses.

He bit down harder on his hand as his other moved faster. He imagined Josh, whispering praises into his ear and calling Tyler his "princess." That did it for him and he moaned loudly as he came. He clapped a hand over his mouth, praying Josh hadn't heard him.

Tyler let his body calm down a bit before turning off the dials, legs wobbly. He looked down at himself. Watered down blood was streaming from him and he grimaced when he saw the towel and clothes.

"Hey, Josh?" he called out. There was an immediate response, "yeah?" Tyler took a breath before he said, "I'm still... kinda bleeding and the towel is white and I don't want to get blood on your clothes."

"It's fine. Towels are replaceable. You are not," Josh replied. Tyler felt a blush spread across his cheeks. He'd literally just jerked off to thoughts of this man praising him but this was a different kind of praise. It made him feel like he actually mattered. Like he wasn't just an outlet for people's frustration.

He stepped out of the shower and dried himself off, cringing as the towel stained red and more blood rose to the surface. He didn't feel like he could blush harder until he realised the 'clothes' were actually only a pair of checkered boxers.

It made sense. There was no point in getting totally dressed up since Josh had to see where his injuries were but still. The last time he'd been self-conscious about his body was when he was fourteen and a client paid to watch him touch himself.

That shy part of Tyler had long gone but seemed to be coming back as he slid the boxers on. They were too big, his only saving grace was his wide hips, that kept them from slipping off. He wiped the blood from his wounds one more time before leaving the bathroom.

Josh was sitting on the couch, textbook in hand with another laid on the cushion. He looked towards Tyler when the bathroom door open and motioned to the kitchen where the first aid was still spread out.

He heard Josh's sharp intake of air when he stepped into the light. Tyler could only imagine how horrible he looked and cast his gaze downwards. Josh cleared his throat, "just hop up on the table," he croaked.

Tyler complied but avoided Josh's gaze as much as possible. He tried to hold the towel against his bleeding thigh but his hands were shaking. His whole body was shaking.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Josh laid a hand on top of his. "It's okay, I got you. Alright?" he said gently. Tyler felt tears brimming his eyes and he bit his lip. Josh planted a light kiss on his forehead before shifting his attention to Tyler's injuries.

The major one needing attention was his thigh. There were dozens of small, deep puncture wounds and scratches. "Christ, what happened?" Josh asked, pouring hydrogen peroxide onto a cloth. He thought Josh was talking to himself but looked up to see Josh looking at him expectedly.

"O-oh, uh umm. I-it was um, nails," he trailed off towards the end. Josh was looking at him like he still expected more. "I-I hit a wall that h-had nails sticking out of it," he said, biting his lip.

"Have you had a Tetanus shot?" Josh asked. "Yeah, a couple years ago," he answered. "Baby, this isn't gonna feel good but I have to do it, okay?" Josh said, holding up the peroxide soaked cloth. Tyler gulped and nodded, leaning back on his hands.

Josh wrapped an arm around his waist and he felt lips press against his throat as pain exploded across his thigh. He jolted forward, crying out and clinging to Josh like he was a life vest on a sinking ship.

His breathing became rapid and black dots started clouding his vision. He pressed his face into Josh's shoulder as a hand ran gently through his hair. Small comforts were whispered into his ear and he started calming down as the sting began to fade.

This continued for a while. Josh trying to distract him from the pain while tending to his wounds, just like the first day they met.

Josh was in the midst of placing a patch on the injury to his back when Tyler felt him freeze. A hand ran along the sharp edges of his hip. "Tyler..." Josh said, warily. He looked down to see what Josh was looking at.

The bruised handprints on his hips from the client he had before going to Mark's. It took him a moment to realise Josh must have been thinking his father may have done that.

"No! No, I got those from something else," he said. "Who did that?" Josh asked, eyes darkening. "Josh, it's fine. It's nothing bad, I promise," he responded but it didn't seem to satisfy the man. "Who did that?" Josh asked again, voice lowering. "Just some guy," he shrugged. "You let some random guy do that to you?" Josh shouted. Tyler couldn't help but flinch away. He didn't like people yelling at him, for obvious reasons. Josh's face softened and he embraced Tyler. "I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to scare you," Josh mumbled against his neck.

"It's okay," he replied. They dropped the subject but he could still see Josh eyeing the bruises every once in a while. By the time they were done and Tyler was completely bandaged up, it was nearing dinner. Tyler didn't realise how hungry he was until his stomach growled loudly.

"I can make us something. Go put on a movie you would like to watch," Josh said, nodding towards the living room. Tyler hopped off the table and started walking but as a second thought ran back up to Josh, who had turned away, and rose to his tiptoes to place a kiss on Josh's cheek, before running out.

He settled onto the couch and fiddled around with the remote until finally figuring out how to work the telly. He navigated his way through movie after movie until he found one he'd wanted to see for the longest time but hadn't been able to.

While waiting for Josh, he took a look at one of the open textbooks and read some. He got so invested in learning about Habeus Corpus that he didn't even notice the man walk in, holding two bowls of pasta.

He jumped when he heard Josh let out a chuckle when he saw the movie title. Tyler flushed red and cursed at himself. What was he thinking picking the new Beauty and the Beast? He blushed for a different reason when Josh said, "you're so adorable."

They began eating as the movie started, Tyler humming along to all the songs and Josh gladly listening. When they had finished their food, Josh pulled him gently until Tyler was curled up against him.

He felt himself relax into Josh's embrace and nuzzled up against him as an arm wrapped around him.

He decided, this was something he could get used to.


	5. Chapter 5

Josh had waited on edge for several hours to hear back from Tyler after discovering him missing. He paced back and forth and wasn't able to even consider studying. He leapt to his phone when he heard it vibrate.

**Ty** : Got in a bit of trouble. He immediately texted back. You: but are you okay? He felt anger well up inside of him when he saw Tyler's response. Ty: A little banged up but I'll be fine.

You: where are you?

**Ty** : At home.

You: is your father there right now? Josh sighed in relief.

**Ty** : No. He left a while ago.

You: when do you think he'll be back?

**Ty** : Idk

**Ty** : Why?

Josh pursed his lips.

You: i'm gonna pick you up

**Ty** : You don't know where I live.

You: i will if you tell me

Josh was a little taken aback when Tyler responded.

**Ty** : Usually, when you ask for a girl's address it's to go on a date.

Well well well. Tyler referred to himself as a girl. Good to know. Josh stored that away somewhere in his brain, to think about later. He contemplated what to say and decided he wanted to see what Tyler's response would be.

You: think of it as a knight in shining armour coming to save his princess

There was a moment before the text bubble appeared and Josh doubted himself, wondering if he just scared off the teen.

**Ty** : I just heard my dad come in.

**Ty** : I have to go.

You: tell me where you are Ty I can come get you

There was no response and Josh ran a hand through his hair in frustration. A little while later, Josh heard his phone vibrate again.

**Ty** : I can leave, I'm on my way to Mark's.

You: I can pick you up just tell me where

**Ty** : Do you know the church by the big water fountain that never runs?

Josh had to think for a moment before he remembered where Tyler was talking about.

You: yeah

You: i'll be there soon

He dashed out to his car and arrived in about ten minutes. He hopped out and looked around for the teen. He began pacing again when he saw him nowhere. He turned around and saw the short figure making its way, slowly. He ran towards Tyler and embraced him, tightly. The boy let out a whine of pain and Josh instantly let go of him. He stilled when he saw moved his hand away and saw it covered in blood. 

"You're bleeding," he said, "I'm taking you to the hospital." He was stopped from moving towards his truck when Tyler pulled on his sleeve and shouted, "NO!" Josh's heart broke when the teen started crying. "Please. I don't want to go, please," he begged.

Josh understood why Tyler was so against going but it still went against everything Josh was taught. He wiped away a tear from the teen's face, not being able to bear seeing him so upset. He nodded and led Tyler to his car. He laid a blanket down on the seat and searched through the back of his truck for a towel which he gave to Tyler for his injuries.

As he drove back, Josh looked over at the teen multiple times to check on him. Soon enough, Tyler was asleep and when they arrived at the apartment, he didn't want to wake him up. Instead, he gently picked him up. The kid was so light, it made Josh a little nervous. Josh placed him down on the kitchen table and collected all of the first aid supplies he needed.

He tried to control his anger when he pulled off Tyler's jacket and the teen's arm was completely covered in blood. He couldn't see exactly where the wound was, it was completely obscured by the caked on blood. Josh pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to think about everything Jenna and Debby told him about how to handle injuries. His mind was drawing a blank though.

"I'm gonna have you take a shower so I can see what needs to be dealt with, okay?" he asked. Tyler looked a bit confused but blushed brightly. "I don't have any other clothes," Tyler said. "That's okay, you can wear some of mine," he said, immediately. The thought of Tyler in his clothes had Josh trying to hide his grin as he helped the teen down. He led Tyler to the bathroom and showed him how the shower functioned, telling him to dump his dirty clothes in the hamper and assured him he would answer if called.

Josh strode to his room, leaving the door open in case Tyler needed anything. He searched through his drawers, trying to find something for the teen to wear. He stopped for a moment. He needed to be able to see what he was doing. Clothing was practically useless. He found a pair of boxers and grinned a little. Tyler in only underwear. He'd like to see that. Josh knocked on the door and opened it slightly.

"Hey, I've got some clothes. I'm gonna leave them on the seat in there." There was no response and it worried Josh for a second. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah... I'll be out in a minute," a quiet voice answered. He sat down on the sofa and opened up a couple textbooks. Josh was quizzing his terminology when he heard what sounded like a muffled moan. He put it down to his mind playing tricks on him until he heard another.

Yeah... definitely a moan. Instant turn-on until he realised it was probably actually a pained groan. Maybe, Tyler was washing off one of his wounds and it hurt. Despite that realization, the sound of it still had him feeling rather hot. He felt a little guilty knowing the teen had gotten those injuries in a horrible way. That certainly helped get rid of his boner. It was brought back up when a _loud_  moan sounded that most definitely did **not**  sound like pain. Josh tried to stop his mind from wandering and clenched his fist while trying to focus back on his book as he heard the water shut off.

There was a moment of quiet, other than his heavy breathing as he attempted to calm his body down. "Hey, Josh?" Tyler called out. "Yeah?" Josh answered immediately, trying to get his mind out of the gutter. "I'm still... kinda bleeding and the towel is white and I don't want to get blood on your clothes," Tyler said. Josh frowned. Did the teen really think a towel was more important than himself?

"It's fine. Towels are replaceable. You are not," he said. There was no response but a few moments later, the boy opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out. Josh could only see his outline but motioned to the kitchen where the first aid kit was. Tyler walked in before him and Josh couldn't help the noise that left him. The teen had mottled bruises covering his body. 

There were particularly dark ones over the left side of his ribs and across his stomach. He had long, straight lines of bruises across his back like he'd been hit with a pipe or something. Josh could see the gash on his right side, just above the waistband of the boxers.

Josh shook his head, disgusted at the treatment Tyler had been subjected to. He cleared his throat and said, "just hop up on the table." Tyler obeyed but was looking anywhere other than him. His whole body was trembling and Josh placed a hand over the one that held the towel against the teen's thigh, making him jump in surprise. "It's okay, I got you. Alright?" Josh felt his heart, breaking when the boy's eyes filled with tears again. He couldn't help himself and placed a small kiss on Tyler's forehead, before shifting his attention. He felt queasy when he looked at Tyler's thigh. There were dozens of deep holes, like some drilled into the flesh.

"Christ, what happened?" Josh asked as he dampened a cloth with some peroxide. Tyler paused before realising Josh was talking to him. "O-oh, uh umm. I-it was um, nails," he got very quiet, but Josh still wanted an explanation. "I-I hit a wall that h-had nails sticking out of it," he said and bit his lip. Fuckin' Hell. Josh didn't want to think about how that might've happened. A thought struck him after a moment. "Have you had a Tetanus shot?" he asked. "Yeah, a couple years ago." Josh took a deep breath and held up the cloth soaked in peroxide.

"Baby, this isn't gonna feel good but I have to do it, okay?" Tyler visibly gulped as he leaned back on his hands to give room. Josh snaked an arm around the teen's waist and pressed his lips against the boy's neck. He didn't know if it was for Tyler's sake or his own but, the instant the cloth touched the wound, Tyler jolted forward, crying out and gripping Josh, hard. The teen was starting to hyperventilate through tears as the peroxide disinfected his thigh. His face buried into Josh's shoulder. The hand Josh had had on Tyler's waist, slid up to run lightly through the boy's hair, trying to comfort him in any way possible.

Tyler's breathing calmed a little. It seemed the pain was ebbing away, slowly. Josh applied a bandage, smoothing the medical tape gently. He worked his way around the teen's body, tackling every injury he found. He was focusing on the gash from the table that had finally stopped bleeding when he noticed something that made his stomach clench. He traced a finger over a faded bruise at the teen's hip. It was shaped like a handprint.

"Tyler..." he said, trying to keep his voice calm, wondering if his father had anything to do with it. Tyler glanced down and looked confused for a moment. It seemed to have dawned on him, what Josh was thinking. "No! No, I got those from something else," he blurted out. Seeing the same marking on the other hip, Josh got angry. "Who did that?" he asked. Tyler looked a little concerned, "Josh, it's fine. It's nothing bad, I promise." Bullshit it's nothing bad. "Who did that?" Josh asked again, tone more pointed than before. "Just some guy," Tyler shrugged. "You let some random guy do that to you?!"

Josh probably should have watched his volume because Tyler flinched away at his shouting. He felt guilt crash into him. He hugged the teen and said, "I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to scare you," against his neck. Tyler looked a bit shaken up but said, "it's okay," anyways. Josh was trying to keep his cool but he clenched his jaw every time he saw the handprints. He hated the thought of someone else fucking Tyler. He knew he shouldn't because he and Tyler weren't together but the very idea of some guy even just putting their hand on the teen, had Josh internally raging. Just as he finished attending to all of Tyler's wounds, the boy's stomach growled loudly. Josh wondered if the kid had eaten anything at all today.

"I can make us something. Go put on a movie you would like to watch," he said. He turned to start heating up some water for pasta and heard Tyler get off the table. Footsteps faded for a moment before returning, quickly. Josh felt a light kiss on his cheek and watched, with a big smile, as the teen ran out. All in all, it took about twenty minutes for Josh to bang out some good ass pasta. He always prided himself in cooking, whenever he got a chance to cook at least. He walked into the living room to see Tyler on the couch, reading one of his textbooks.

Josh felt his heart absolutely melt when he saw the movie of the telly was the new Beauty and the Beast. He obviously made some kind of sound because Tyler looked up, flushing with embarrassment. Josh couldn't help but say, "you're so adorable," as he handed over a bowl. Josh would have failed miserably if he had even attempted to wipe off his smile when Tyler started humming along to all the songs.

After they finished eating, Josh pulled him gently, aware of his injuries, until he was curled up right against him. Josh could literally feel the tension drain out of the teen after a couple minutes. It felt so right having Tyler in his arms, and he tried his hardest to memorise the feeling of this moment so he could think about it later.

______________________________________________________

Several days went by and the two came up with a plan. Tyler would come over whenever possible, even if Josh wasn't there. Josh loved coming home to find Tyler taking a nap on the lounge or writing music or colouring in a little notebook Josh got for him.

As Josh's exam grew closer, he got more and more stressed despite knowing everything that would be on it. Tyler did his best to help him, quizzing him on terms and coming up with random situations Josh may somehow find himself in. The kid could be a writer if he wanted to from all the crazy ideas he had.

The test was the day before Halloween and Tyler sent him a good luck text as Josh left to take it. That message calmed Josh down as he began his exam. It was so much easier than he expected and he left knowing that he had passed it with flying colours. He was giddy as he hopped in his truck and started on his way back to his apartment, wondering if the teen was there.

He was waiting at a traffic light when he noticed a grey Honda let a girl out onto the pavement. She was wearing a little white dress and matching white heels. She was bending over to speak through the window and even through the tinted glass, Josh could see the male driver handing something to her.

Oh damn. She was a prostitute. Not uncommon for LA but she seemed so small and so young. When she stood up straight, Josh could see her hair was cut short and she was wearing bright red lipstick. She walked into an alleyway and Josh thought that was the last of her. He cursed at how long the stoplight was taking.

He nearly screamed when he saw his sweet, innocent Tyler walk out of the alley, wiping off red lipstick.

Tyler was a fucking prostitute.

That's why he had hand prints on his hips and occasionally hickeys just under his collarbone that Josh could see whenever he moved around. Josh could feel rage building inside. Not at Tyler, only at the stuff, Tyler was doing or rather WHO he was doing. A car honked behind him and Josh realised the light had turned green. He drove home, head swirling. He sat down at the kitchen table, trying to clear his mind.

The teen showed up about an hour later. "Hey! How'd the test go?" he asked, excitedly. His smile faded when he saw the way Josh was sitting. "Oh no. Was it that bad?" he asked, walking forward and hopping onto the table, next to where Josh was sitting. Josh looked up at the boy's worried face, heart heavy. "Hey, Tyler?" he asked, calmly. "Umm... yeah?" the teen responded, confusedly. "What's your job again?" The boy looked a bit taken aback. "I'm an entertainer, I play music," he said.

Both of those things were true so he technically wasn't lying but he wasn't being totally honest and that frustrated Josh. "Then why did I see you get out of a man's car all dressed up and see him give you money when I was driving home?"

The teen's face drained of all colour, his jaw opening and closing, trying to come up with an explanation. Eventually, he gave up, and let out a sigh. "Josh... I have to pay for things somehow. I have to pay for food and groceries and whatever my father asks for or he gets angry," he said, face flushed with embarrassment. Josh felt his blood boiling and his heart, breaking, all at the same time. This poor kid was having to sell his own body, just to pay to keep himself from starving to death and for his abusive father's booze.

Josh couldn't control himself and he pulled the teen into his lap, kissing him all over. "Let... me... pay... for you," he said between kisses. "When you turn seventeen, and you get emancipated, you're moving in with me. You'll never have to do anything like that ever again," he said against the smooth skin of the boy's jaw. Tyler's eyes were wide in shock and began filling with tears. Not of sadness, but joy. He threw his arms around Josh and their lips collided. Their kiss deepened as Josh pulled him closer, running a hand along the teen's side.

Josh knew it was wrong, Tyler wasn't seventeen just yet. He was still underage but he couldn't give a fuck at the moment. Tyler tasted like strawberries and cinnamon and Josh was drowning in it. They broke apart to catch their breath. Tyler's pupils were blown out and Josh was sure his own were as well. They both let out a groan when the phone rang. "Let's just ignore it," Josh said but Tyler shook his head, "no. It might be important," he sighed as he climbed off of Josh's lap. Josh picked up the phone, slightly miffed at having been interrupted.

"Hello?" he asked, trying to make himself sound pleasant. "HOW'D THE TEST GO, MY DUDE?!" Debby shouted, loudly. "It went well," he said, cringing at his ringing ear. "Yo, you gotta come over to Mark's place. We're celebrating. Chinese food and champagne," she said. "Can I bring someone along," Josh asked, grinning slightly, raising a brow at the teen. "OoooOOOooo. Who is it?" she paused for a moment, "please say 'Tyler.' I miss that kid so much."

Tyler blushed having heard her. "Yeah, it's Tyler," he said. Debby let out a kind of noise Josh didn't think a human would even be capable of. "Okay. Okay. Come over at seven," she said, "it's gonna be _lit_. And by lit I mean we're just gonna chow down on some lo mein and watch movies."

"That's the best kind of party," Tyler nodded. Josh snorted, "yeah. Okay. See you then," he said. "Bye, baaaaabe," she sang as the call ended. Josh walked back up to Tyler, who was sitting on the table again. He placed himself between the teen's legs and gave him it a light kiss, pulling him close again.

" _Mine_ ," he said, feeling the boy shiver under his touch. "You don't have to give yourself away anymore. You'll be out of that damn house soon and you will never have to see that asshole again." Tyler leaned against him, nuzzling into his neck with his hands clinging to Josh's shirt. "Thank you," he whispered and it looked like a physical weight had lifted off the teen's shoulders.

Needless to say, both of them were counting down the minutes until December 1st.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a super short chapter I haven't had a lot of time but I wanted to put SOMETHING up

They filled the few free hours they had before the party with lots of kissing and cuddling on the couch. Josh just could not get enough of Tyler. He took great care in being gentle with him. The teen seemed uncomfortable anytime he moved around. It bothered Josh now knowing why the boy felt like that, having seen the cause of it drive away. He was making it very clear to Tyler that he belonged to Josh and **_only_** Josh.

He dearly wanted to mark the teen up and leave him in a state that would prove to others that he was now off-limits. He prevented himself from doing it, knowing what would happen if Tyler's, asshole father saw. Josh wasn't going to risk the boy's safety just to satisfy his own desires.

Tyler whined when it was time to leave. With the assurance of the quality of the takeaway they would have at the party, Tyler huffed, indignantly and followed Josh to the truck.

When they arrived, both were immediately attacked with hugs by a very hyper Debby. Tyler hid his discomfort so well that if Josh hadn't already known about it, he would have never guessed there was anything wrong. It made Josh wonder how many times he, himself didn't notice any signs.

Josh was pulled out of his thoughts when Mark gave him a tight hug. "Congrats, man. Don't forget about us when you become a super famous lawyer," he said.

"How could I ever forget my pack of weirdos," Josh chuckled returning the hug just as tightly.

Jenna came bounding over, interrupting the two of them and giving Josh her own celebratory hug. He looked over to see Debby laughing hysterically while Tyler covered his face in embarrassment. He could only imagine what she must have said as she poked the teen's stomach, teasingly. Tyler squeaked and started giggling when she did it again. Josh grinned. Tyler was ticklish... and he was going to have _so_ much fun exploiting that little fact later.

Josh finally swooped in to save the boy from his torment when he nearly fell off a chair. The doorbell rang, signaling the takeaway had arrived and Mark went to answer. Josh followed him down, knowing he would most likely need help considering they had ordered quite a hefty load.

When they came back, food in arms, Jenna and Debby grinned at Josh like they knew something they shouldn't know. It was slightly worrying but, if something was actually wrong, they would have said something immediately.

They all tucked in when everything was laid out. Josh made a mental note that Tyler **LOVES** lo mein but greatly dislikes wantons and is so skilled with chopsticks he taught all of them how to use them correctly.

Josh's heart warmed up at how patient the teen was. Despite having to show them over and over again and having to move their hands around to the right position, he never got frustrated. Josh would have given up in less than ten minutes, but Tyler stuck through it. In the end, thanks to his teaching, they all became master chopstick-holders.

They were having a _Lord of the Rings_ marathon. Josh already knew Tyler was a nerd. He didn't know how much of a bookworm he really was. They played trivia and when it came to the topic of Literature, Tyler beat everyone. Every answer he gave was correct. He probably named about thirty different authors and the works associated with them.

It struck Josh when he realised how much he actually liked Tyler. He didn't view him as a burden taken on due to pity despite what Tyler may fear.

There's a differencing between caring about someone and liking them. You could feel concern for them and worry about their wellbeing, but not like being around them or enjoying their company.

Josh cared deeply but, he not only liked being around Tyler, he _loved_ being around Tyler. He loved whenever Tyler ranted about whether Marvel or DC Comics were better. He loved how Tyler blushed when complimented. He loved when Tyler would hum melodies to songs he came up with inside that amazing mind of his. He loved when he would come home and find Tyler there, waiting for him with a smile on his face.

Josh loved Tyler.

He had never felt a connection even _remotely_ like it with any of his past partners. He was utterly head over heels for him. It was truly quite absurd when thinking about how opposite their lives were.

Josh had a close family while Tyler's was completely broken. Josh's parents were extremely accepting and never even shouted at him while Tyler's were absolutely not accepting and beat him constantly. Josh never really had to pay for stuff himself, he just chose to while Tyler had to deal with horrible things just to get by.

And, probably the saddest irony ever; Josh was a lawyer while Tyler was a prostitute, breaking the laws that lawyers were meant to uphold.

He hadn't noticed when he pulled Tyler closer to him until he felt the teen's head resting on his chest. It received quite a few poorly hidden glances their way by Debby, Jenna, and Mark. Tyler didn't seem to mind whatsoever and focused on the movie while melting into Josh.

Jenna popped the champagne and poured a glass for everyone, hesitating when she got to Tyler. She looked to Josh, who shrugged his shoulders. " **ONE** glass," she said, pouring a glass and handing it over to him when he gave a cheeky grin.

They settled back down, turning their attention to the movie. About twenty minutes later the sound of a cell phone ringing pierced the air. Just from the way the teen tensed up, Josh knew whose phone it was and who was calling. "You can use my room to take the call," Mark said warily, most likely knowing Tyler's father wasn't calling just to say 'hi.'

Tyler nodded, biting his lip and downing the rest of his champagne. Josh gave him a reassuring squeeze before releasing him and watching him enter the room. Debby paused the movie when they heard Tyler's voice raising through the door.

A few moments later, Tyler emerged from the room, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "He doesn't believe I'm home right now. I don't know why he would care, he's not even there. He'll be back by 2," he said as he sat back on the couch.

He paused as he looked at his phone before going into his photos. "What are you doing?" Josh asked.

"He always makes me take a picture of the clock on the wall to show I'm at home at the time so I messed around with it and took pictures everytime I changed the hands to move it to the next minute. A bit of editing the light can make it look like day or night," he said as he sent a picture of the clock that showed 9:49 pm with a dark filter and one side lightened to give the appearance of a lamp.

The others were stunned in silence. "How often do you have to do that?" Mark asked.

"Every couple days," he shrugged, nonchalantly as he put down his phone and returned to his spot in Josh's arm. Everyone was slightly unsettled but when the movie was unpaused tension seemed to die down. Josh pulled him in tight, running his hand through the teen's soft, messy hair.

Debby brought up the topic of Halloween. There would be a costume party in one of the units. She pretty much demanded everyone in the room to dress up and go. Tyler had a slightly mischevious grin that got Josh wondering what the Hell the boy would dress as.

It was nearing 1:30 in the morning when Josh started getting concerned Tyler's father might return early. He drove Tyler back to the fountain where they often met each other. It felt like a part of Josh was being torn out when he let Tyler walk away after a quick kiss and a promise of meeting at Mark's to go to the party.

Josh returned to his apartment, dreaming about Tyler.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** I know this is super short. I just haven't had a lot of time to focus on this story, but I don't want people thinking I'm done with it.

 

Tyler walked to his house cautiously, sighing a breath of relief when he noticed his father's truck wasn't there. He felt even if his father _WAS_ there, it wouldn't have dampened his mood too much. He was flying as high as a kite thinking about Josh.

He had so many ideas of what to wear.

The only trouble would be if his dad was home at the time. He would have to come up with some sort of excuse and his father had been incredibly suspicious since catching him at the diner.

Years of experience had taught Tyler how to lie his way out of a situation, so he had no worries about it. Flopping onto his bed, he stared at his ceiling, picturing the look on Josh's face when he saw what Tyler was wearing. He hoped the man would be impressed and jealous of anyone looking at him.

The sound of the front door opening broke him from his reverie. He quickly pulled the covers over him, turning on his side and pretending to be asleep. Footsteps came up the stairs, and his bedroom door opened loudly. He heard his father hum, seemingly pleased with the fact Tyler had obeyed and stayed home.

His door closed and the footsteps walked away as Tyler let out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. He longed for December first when he could get out of this place and live with Josh. He knew it was only a few weeks away, but those few weeks felt like years.

Tyler fought so long to gain his parents' approval. He just wanted them to accept them, but he realised after several years, it wasn't going to happen. Instead, he found approval and acceptance in Josh and Mark and Debby and Jenna. It felt so good to just be himself after so long of hiding who he was.

It felt good to be loved.

With a plan in his head and the memory of Josh's lips on his own, Tyler, for the first time in a long time, felt hopeful of the future.  
____________________________

Josh returns to his own apartment, wondering what he would dress as. It was late and the effects of the stress from the test finally hit him, leaving him exhausted. He collapsed onto his bed, chucking off his clothes and sliding under the covers and falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

It felt like it had only been five minutes before his alarm blared  
at 11 am. He regretted not brushing his teeth the night before when he registered the bad taste in his mouth. His hand fumbled around his bedside table attempting to locate his alarm. He gave up trying to find the Snooze Button and sat up, taking a moment to wake up fully before slamming his hand down on the alarm.

He took a shower still contemplating his costume as the hot water ran over him. His mind kept wandering to Tyler and what the boy would dress as. That mischevious smirk stuck in his mind while he made himself breakfast. He almost burned his hand on a pan from how distracted he'd been.

Eventually, he decided on a somewhat disturbing wolf mask his brother got for him several years prior. He debated briefly on what outfit to go along with it before an idea came to mind.

Some articles of clothing are not always a necessity. 

* * *

Josh was feeling quite good about himself as Debby, Jenna, and Mark marvelled over his bare chest. Despite all of his schoolwork, Josh still went to the gym on a regular basis and made sure to keep himself healthy.

As a college student, he didn't have the best diet as he rarely had time to cook for himself, and take away was the easiest option. The sound of the buzzer broke through their conversation, and Mark pressed the button to open the door.

Josh's jaw dropped the moment Tyler stepped in.

The teen was dressed in a tight black long sleeved, shoulderless crop top and a leather mini skirt. Black lace stockings went up mid-thigh, platform high heels making the boy taller than he actually was. The whole look was topped off with a long, fluffy red and black-tipped tail, and matching ears.

His makeup consisted of dark and smoky eyes, red lips and sharp, long black nails.

"Did you two _plan_ this?" Mark asked, "to show up as a fox and a wolf?"

Tyler's perfectly arched eyebrow rose, "I had no idea."

Debby, who was going as a "sexy skeleton," immediately wiped off her makeup, demanding Tyler do it for her. Josh watched in fascination as the teen expertly laid a base, adding just the right amount of contour and shading to make an elegant, realistic look.

Josh couldn't help but admire the spectacle of every time Tyler bent over. Jenna elbowed him, grinning, "nice view?" she asked and Josh blushed, looking away.

Once everyone was done and ready, they headed out to the party, Mark and the girls going in Jenna's car, and Tyler going with Josh. "You look... really good," Josh said while driving. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tyler grin.

"Thank you. I'm a big fan of your costume as well," he said, and Josh knew the teen was staring at his chest.

After finding a parking space, Josh pulled his mask on and exited the car, walking around the other side to help Tyler out. Holding his hand, they walked together and met the others by the door.

They thought the party was in one of the apartment dorms, but it turned out to be an entire house that was nearby the complex. Despite the extra space, the entire place was packed and almost impossible to manoeuvre through. A horribly overplayed song blasted from multiple speakers, rave lights illuminating the sweaty bodies dancing around.

Josh pulled Tyler close to him, trying to keep him from being groped as they made their way through. He'd expected the teen to be uncomfortable with the number of people there, but Tyler seemed to have no problem whatsoever.

He was surprised when the boy almost immediately got into a conversation with three girls. "I'm gonna go get us some drinks," he shouted to Tyler over the music. When the teen gave him a thumbs up to show he'd heard, Josh started the treacherous track to the drink bar.

Finishing his talk with the three blondes who had approached him about his shoes, Tyler turned to look around in the crowd for Josh. A pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind and Tyler immediately knew it was _not_  Josh.

"I almost didn't recognize you. You know, it's rude to ghost someone, and not return their messages," a voice said, and Tyler's stomach dropped when he realised who it was.

Nathan.

He pulled himself out of the man's grasp, "I don't work anymore, sorry."

He moved to take a step away, but a hand wrapped around his wrist, tugging him back against Nathan's chest while the other hand grabbed his ass, "where do you think you're going? I've always been good to you, you owe me."

Bullshit. He'd been one of the worst clients Tyler ever had.

"I owe you nothing, so let go, I'm done," Tyler said through gritted teeth, trying to pull away. A sharp tug on his hair pulled his head back and dry chapped lips were pressing against his, the smell of alcohol on his breath.

Clawing at Nathan's cheek with his sharp nails, Tyler managed to turn his face away, breaking the kiss. Grunting in anger, Nathan's grip tightened on his wrist, and Tyler found himself being dragged towards the door. "Stop! Let go of me!" he shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the loud music.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Nathan's arm, tearing it off of Tyler before shoving him away. Stepping in front of the teen, Josh stared the man down, mask disowned on the ground.

"The fuck? That's my girl," Nathan shouted, getting in Josh's face.

"Actually, he's mine, so back off," Josh said, venom in his voice.

Leaning around Josh, Nathan looked at Tyler in confusion, "Mia, who the fuck is this guy?"

"My boyfriend. I told you, I don't work anymore, leave me alone," Tyler shouted back.

Josh bit down on the inside of his cheek with the realization of how the two knew each other. This guy was one of the scumbags who paid for a fuck and forced Tyler to sell himself.

Josh made a mental note to thank his father for the Judo classes he'd taken when he was younger as Nathan threw a punch at him, just missing by an inch. Josh felt satisfied at the feeling of a crunch under his knuckles as his fist connected with the other man's face.

Blood poured down the front of Nathan's face, and he fell to the ground, cradling his broken nose. Grabbing Tyler, Josh shoved his way through the crowd until they were outside. Without a word, he lifted Tyler into the truck and sent a quick text to the others, telling them they were leaving, before climbing in and turning on the engine.

He pulled out of the parking spot just in time to stop Nathan from opening Tyler's door. The teen sunk down in his seat, arms wrapped around himself. He remained silent, obviously picking up on Josh's anger and wanting to let the older man calm down.

Walking into the apartment, Josh kept a firm arm around Tyler's waist, only letting him go once they were inside so the boy could go change his clothing. Josh had bought a bunch of outfits to keep at the apartment whenever he was there.

Tyler stripped himself in the bathroom, he went to wash the makeup off of his face, but the smeared lipstick reminded him of being trapped in the disgusting kiss. He eventually decided to just take a shower, hoping to wash away the memory.

Nobody could fault him for brushing his teeth and washing his mouth out over and over again for ten minutes.

Exiting the bathroom, Tyler expected Josh to say something, but the man still remained silent as he walked passed him, into the bathroom to take a shower of his own.

Tyler's mind raced with all the bad thoughts he could ever imagine. He sat on the couch, tears pouring down his face. Josh was probably disgusted by him. He probably thought Tyler must have been with hundreds of men. He would probably tell Tyler to leave, unable to look at him without thinking of him dropping to his knees for a couple dollars.

He was crying too hard to even notice Josh walk in. Strong arms lifted him up, carrying him to the bedroom. Pulling the covers back, Josh placed Tyler onto the bed before climbing in next to him, pulling the boy close to him.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'm here, you're safe," Josh whispered stroking Tyler's hair.

The teen froze, sitting up and turning to look at him in confusion, tears on his cheeks, "you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad you?" Josh asked, "you did nothing wrong."

"But... you know who he was? How I know him? That doesn't upset you?" Tyler bit his lip.

"It upsets me knowing the background to it all. You did what you had to do, Tyler. I could never be mad at you for that," Josh said.

Tyler hung his head, "why are you so nice to me? I'm nothing, I'm just a stupid whore. Why would y-"

He was cut off by Josh pinning him down, staring into his eyes, "do. Not. Ever. Say. That. Again. You are **_not_**  stupid. You are _**not**_  a whore. You are someone who's been through horrible things and has had to find ways of dealing with it. I love you, Tyler. Whatever you did in the past, doesn't change how I feel about you. Don't ever talk of yourself so lowly."

Unable to think of words, Tyler pulled Josh down into a kiss, hoping to convey what he was trying to say. Josh seemed to understand, easing up his hold and kissing him sweetly.

Tyler fell asleep quickly, exhausted from crying so hard and feeling safe in Josh's arms. The older man had a bit more trouble, catching sight of the light ring of bruises on the boy's arm from where Nathan had grabbed him. He couldn't stop thinking about what kind of horrors the kid must have been through.

As soon as Tyler was emancipated, Josh would file a report against the boy's father.

* * *

  
The next morning, Tyler was thankful his father had decided to head out of town for two days as he slept in way later than anticipated. He woke up to the smell of something delicious, and a lack of Josh Dun next to him.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he stretched his back and slid out of bed. Slightly chilly from the absence of blankets, he located one of Josh's big sweaters and put it on knowing the man had a thing for seeing Tyler wearing his clothes.

Stepping into the kitchen, he was greeted with the spectacle of Josh, standing by the stove, completely shirtless. Tyler briefly wondered how he wasn't cold while wearing only a pair of baggy sweatpants.

Catching sight of him, Josh said, "breakfast will be ready in a couple minutes. Come, sit down and put on some music, I didn't want to wake you up before."

Tyler complied, turning on the speaker and looking for one to play. Josh's head whipped around when he heard the sound of a song by his old band. Tyler was grinning mischievously at the kitchen table, tapping his small hands to the beat.

Josh snorted, "talk about nostalgia, damn."

"I really like it, you're good," Tyler said, and Josh couldn't help but smile to himself at the compliment.

Placing a plate of eggs and sausage in front of Tyler, he took a seat across from him, digging in immediately. They completely forgot to eat dinner the night before, and Josh was ravenously hungry. Tyler, still somewhat used to not eating regularly, watched in amusement as Josh tore his plate apart while he ate slowly, savouring the taste.

"My compliments to the chef," he said, making Josh chuckle as he took a sip of coffee.

"The chef thoroughly enjoys your compliment," Josh replied, loving the adorable giggle he received.

When they were done eating, Tyler insisted on doing the dishes himself as he always did whenever Josh cooked. The domesticity of it all still made the older man's heart warm, _especially_ seeing the boy having to roll up the long sleeves of his sweater to keep them from getting wet.

They spent part of the day cuddling before deciding to go out to a cinema and watch a movie Josh had been dying to see. It wasn't Tyler's usual style, but he found himself enjoying it, even more so with the man's arm around his shoulders.


End file.
